How to Make Butterfly Puddles

Butterflies are a very striking addition to any flower garden. One way to attract them is by building a butterfly puddle. Butterflies gain their water and minerals by sipping from moist spots, not from open water like birds that enjoy birdbaths. A butterfly's method of drinking is called "puddling," according to Native Wildlife Gardening. An artificial butterfly puddle will look natural in any flower garden and can start at a size of just 16 inches wide, so there's no need to worry about them obstructing a garden's beauty.

Small bowl, dish, aluminum pie pan, or small flowerpot
Sand
Water
Shovel
Composted manure
Salt
Decorative rocks, twigs, or pine bark

Instructions

- 1
  Fill the bottom of a bowl, dish, pie pan or flowerpot with sand. It's recommended by Native Wildlife Gardening that the item being used is a minimum of 16 inches wide to prevent rapid evaporation.
- 2
  Add enough water to make the sand moist. Stale beer or a sweet drink can be substituted for water.
- 3
  Find a spot in full sun and dig a hole for the bowl. Bury the bowl to ground level, making it flush with the dirt.
- 4
  Put approximately 1 tablespoon of composted manure in the sand. A pinch of salt may also be added; butterflies require additional sodium when mating.
- 5
  Decorate the puddle with appealing rock, river stone, clam shells, or pine bark. These items, along with twigs, provide perching and sunbathing spots for butterflies.

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